MEN’S TENNIS SELECTED THIRD IN THE BIG SKY PRESEASON MEDIA POLL

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento State men's tennis team was picked to finish third out of 12 teams in the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, it was announced today by the league.

The Hornets, who finished third last season in the conference standings, return six players from a year ago and will field an eight-man roster that includes one senior, four juniors, two sophomores and a freshman.

Sacramento State finished the 2017 season with a 13-12 overall record and an 8-3 mark in the Big Sky. That 8-3 record was good enough for third place in the league standings and a Big Sky Tournament semifinal appearance. After winning their Big Sky quarterfinal match against Montana State, the Hornets lost in the semifinals to eventual tournament champion Idaho.

Each of the six returners played at least nine matches last year in the singles lineup, including Mikus Losbergs (No. 1), Dom Miller (No. 2), Kasparas Zemaitelis (No. 3), Louis Chabut (No. 4) and Hermont Legaspi (No. 6). Donald Hall also appeared in the singles lineup, playing nine matches at No. 6. Zemaitelis will be the lone senior on this year's team, Hall Losbergs and Miller are juniors, and Chabut and Legaspi are sophomores. Losbergs was a first team all-Big Sky selection a year ago while Zemaitelis was a second team choice.

Idaho, which placed second in last year's standings but won the Big Sky Tournament title, received nine first place votes and was selected to finish first in the poll with 117 points. Last year's regular season champion, Northern Arizona, was selected second with 111 points, followed by Sacramento State (908), Montana (96), Weber State (73), Idaho State (72), Montana State (59), Eastern Washington (45), Southern Utah (45), Portland State (31), Northern Colorado (28) and North Dakota (17).

Idaho represented the Big Sky at last year's NCAA Tournament after beating Montana, 4-0, in the conference's tournament title match.

The Hornets open the season next Friday, Jan. 19, at Saint Mary's at 2 p.m. The Hornets' home opener will take place Sunday, Jan. 21, vs. Cal Poly at 10 a.m.